Montreal’s Pallice are gearing up to release their debut EP Aesthetic through Ottawa label So Sorry Records this spring, and we’re excited to premiere their brand new track “Prince Charles” here on Showbox. Pallice’s minimalist synth pop balances simplicity in songwriting with textural and sonic mosaics that bloom with colourful flourishes. The comforting rhythm of drummer Jeff Kingsbury ties expressive guitar work and warm, flowing bass lines together.

The band is wrapping up a six-date tour of eastern Canada, and they will be playing the final tour date in Ottawa this Sunday, April 29th, at Pressed along with Shadowhand and mal/aimé. Advanced tickets can be found here. Listen to the new track “Prince Charles” below, and read through Gregg’s interview with multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Morgan O’Leary earlier this week.

Interview with Morgan O’Leary of Pallice

When did you write these songs?

MO: These songs all came about between fall 2016 and fall 2017. They started as little pieces and ideas early on and grew into what they are on the record over those two years.

How did you know they were done?

MO: It’s so hard to know when a song is done—is it ever done? We did a bit of arranging and added/removed parts in the studio. They only really felt done when the mixes were done!

What do you write about the most?

MO: Mostly I write about nostalgia, friends, family, dogs. A lot of it is about being young and taking your time in your youth.

What inspired “Prince Charles”?

MO: “Prince Charles” is named after a street that I grew up on. I met my still-best friend who lived across the street from me then, and we shared lots of dreams about growing up and being adults. Now that we’ve reached that we sometimes think back on that time and how funny it was that we wanted to be older. This song is kind of an homage to that youthfulness.

What’s different about the live show compared to your record?

MO: I think the live show has a lot of dynamics that you can only create with live instruments, especially after the addition of another synth player and vocalists on stage. The recorded songs are meant to be pop songs, but in the live version we stray a bit away from that by extending instrumental sections of songs and trying to play with audience expectations.

How many members are in the touring band? What instruments do they play?

MO: We’re touring as a five piece. It’s Yolande Laroche on synth and backing vocals, Wesley MacNeil on guitar, Julien Dussault on bass, Jeff Kingsbury on drums, and myself on vocals and synth. Yolande, Julien and Jeff are all members of the Ottawa band Pony Girl and those three together play in a project called mal/aimé who are playing sets on this tour as well.

When I say “Ottawa” what comes to mind?

MO: Ottawa is filled with friends of Pallice.

Your dream act if Pallice could open for any artist, dead or alive?

MO: Dirty Projectors

Your one wish for this tour?

MO: I hope that we can surpass some expectations of what people might have assumed we would be like—we all want to put on a really fun and energetic set. We hope that the live shows we play on this tour will get people excited for the album release.